I kinda made this depressing, but it's okay, it's also a 'what if' chapter of 'yearning for her love', so I'd be glad if you read that too. It's a catie by the way.

Katie pov

I had no choice but to come. I'd rather just sit in the infirmary and recover from this traumatic incident, but no, I was forced to come because I was the cause of Travis's death. I guess it doesn't matter since Connor also had to come, even though he needed bed rest from his gun wounds, but at least he didn't drop Travis to his death.

As if being in that hell hole was enough, I had to attend Travis's funeral. Both Connor and me take this topic cautiously and seriously, but neither of us like talking about him in general and our relationship torwards him, for we then face the same image in our heads of the last that we saw him, and we go into our shell.

"We gather here today, in memory of Travis Lee Stoll" Chiron's words dripped of sadness interupts my thoughts. I sat in the second row, with Miranda, my sister, and noticed Connor fidgeting with something inside his hands as he sits on the far right seat of the first row.

"If anyone here has any words to say, please step forward" Chiron continued, gesturing to the podium.

"No one? Any from his brother Connor?" He asks. All eyes were on Connor, and I can sense his nervous system breaking along with his mental mind as he slowly shakes his head.

"Without further ado, we'll begin the ceremony" He replies, grabbing the torch from a Hephaestsus kid. I spot Connor looking away along with most of the campers as the fire rises from the stage. I can't help but let the tear roll down my cheek. When Miranda pats my back I look up and see tears in hers too.

She mutters in my ear, "I'm so sorry, Katie" Her voice heavy with sorrrow. I look back to see Connor, but notice he's not there. People stare into the forest on their right, where Connor supposedly ran off. Miranda stares at me.

"Oh no" She whispers.

"It's okay, I'll go look for him later, after the ceremony." I mutter back, still staring at the spot he dissapeared. I sighed, gaining my composure again, and relaxed my shoulders, glad it was about done. The fire was dying down from his shroud-which was decorated with his pocketknife and his pick pocket-and watched slowly as most of the campers were leaving back to their cabins. Miranda signaled me to go, and I rose to my feet and headed down the steps heading into the direction Connor went.

As I passed the front row, I noticed something by his seat, which was what he was fidgeting with, and I picked it up. I looked at it cautiously, but still couldn't tell what it was. It was some sort-of black box with decorative patterns on it, but still couldn't tell what it was. Why would Connor carry this around?

I ignored my curiousity and headed in the forest to spot Connor and get him back safely to his cabin or infirmary, based on how much pain he is in. I walk pass Zeus's fist without no luck. Once I hit the boundary line of the creek, when I hear a small whisper. I jump, scared to death and turn to where I believe it is coming from.

Another hushed voice emanates from somewhere. I look around me and try and spot the orgin. Then it raises its voice.

"Kates" He says, the same tone Connor used when he nearly died. I still can't tell where he was until he noticed my confusion.

"Up here" He mutters as I look up at the trees. I spot him sitting on one casually, like he was an expert climber.

"How'd you get up there" I say back to him.

"I have my ways" He tries to joke, but fails, obviously thinking about his brother.

"Your wounds, I thought you were in pain" I say.

"So, what if I got hurt on the way up here, I'm not dead" He falters on the last word. I flash the box so that he could see.

"You forget something?" I mutter. He sighs.

"I can't believe I forgot that. Where'd you find it?" He says sliding his way back down.

"Uh, it was near your seat, I'm guessing you dropped it or something." I responded as he hopped down to the ground. He reaches his hand out to grab it.

Before I hand it over I mutter, "What is it anyway?" He fidgets with it like at the ceremony, and stares at me before responding.

"Uh, it's our..." He runs his fingers through his hair, "Mother's ashes... I meant to do something with it, but I never could" I stare at him in disbelief.

"I'm so sorry" I say. He shrugs, and just smiles.

"No, No, it's okay, I mean I really just didn't have the time to do something with it, and I really don't know what to do. I was going to send it back to her mom, but she's in the hospital, so it doesn't matter" He rambles on.

"What did you have in mind?"

"I really was thinking of leaving it where I found it, or put it under Travis's bed, but I don't know yet" I smile at his nonsense.

"So, I see you didn't take the ceremony well" I mutter, not knowing what else to say. He chuckled softly.

"Yea, it just got to me at the sight of the fire...I see you kept your composure" He replied.

"I was in the back, you couldn't see me, you should've seen me, I was a total emotional wreck, just ask Miranda" I say back. He chuckled and fidgeted with box again.

"Back there, did you really mean what you said. That you actually did love me?" I said, stunning him in the process. He widened his eyes and nearly dropped the box. He shook his head, and stayed silent.

"Connor?" I said, wondering if he actually understood what I said.

"Yea, I'm okay, it's just it caught me by surprise, especially saying this after the ceremony." He said afraid to look at me.

"And you think it didn't catch me by surprise? I mean come on Connor, we both know that he's gone now" He tensed his shoulders.

"Well, yea, but I bet he still knows what were doing, I mean you don't honestly think I can answer that now" He said slowly raising his head, slowly reaching my eyes.

"Connor, just answer, did you love me?" I said, greedy for an answer that i've been waiting for a long time.

He sighed, "I did, but I stopped once I knew Travis loved you." I furrowed my brow, confused by this. I wasn't expecting that.

"What do you mean?"

"I just, stopped trying to once Travis admitted that he loved you, but I know he did for a while before he actually admitted it" He said blinking his eyes faster.

"Why'd you stop?" I asked shifting my weight on my other foot.

He hesitated, "I just decided it wasn't worth it, and I stopped trying to get to you. Obviously I still did, when Travis pranked you, but it wasn't like when we were younger."

"So, you could have just told him, I'm sure he would've understood"

"That's the problem, the whole reason he went through with that 'plan' was because he found out, that I liked you. I don't know how, but I'm guessing that he did that for some stupid reason. It was fine with me, that you were with him, I guess he thought I was jealous or something." He rambled on. I just continued to stare at him.

"Well, maybe he just wanted us to give it a try" He stared in disbelief and shook his head.

"That's stupid, why would he die just for that, I'm sure he was thinking I was jealous and was trying to teach me something" He mumbled.

I stepped closer torwards him, "You really think he thought you were jealous?"

"Yes, I'm pretty sure" He muttered.

"Connor, you know Travis better than I do, your his brother for Zeus's sake" I nearly insisted. He looked at me seriously.

"Katie, please, just drop it, okay, I liked you before" He muttered and looked away.

"Connor" I muttered back. He started to walk away, but I grabbed his forearm. He stared at me and shooed my hand away.

"Katie stop, what if he was watching?"

"I'm sure he'd understand Connor" I reasoned.

"You just said I understand him better than you. He'd kill me" He yelled, Taking off. I was about to stop him, when I notice the box of ashes on the ground. I picked it up gingerly and stared at him.

Maybe I was wrong, maybe I don't understand the stolls. Maybe I didn't understand their ways. Maybe Travis didn't love me truly. Not like Connor. I fidgeted with the box.

I wonder what their mother was like. She must've been beautiful to have the stolls. No wonder Hermes liked her.

And maybe, I can reach out to him, like Hermes did. Just maybe.

A big maybe.

But it's possible.

I couldn't make a way where they would have a romantic scene together-which always happens-but its best i could do. I spent like three hours on this...I was watching utube vids during it.

Enjoy and Review,

~Percabeth17~